My Princess
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: a little oneshot of Haruka and Usagi- flashback to the silver millennium and then fast forwards to the present, before they ever meet in person. it's been awhile since ive written anything, thanks to those of you who continue to follow & review my stories!
1. Chapter 1

_The string quartet was softly playing; all around her were happy people, some paired off, others in groups. Chatter was light, airy, and happy. This was the Moon Kingdom's annual masquerade ball- they had a few a year, sometimes more, but this was one that everyone knew of. That everyone came to. Across the room, the princess spotted her mother, settled upon her throne, talking to a few well dressed nobles. She was laughing, her head thrown back, her twinkling laughter carrying along the room. She sighed, turning her eyes away from the throne and instead to the dance floor, where yet another dance was beginning._

 _At the center was a couple; a well dressed man, his tux the softest of blacks and a woman in a gown of aquamarine. As the music began, all eyes fell upon the couple, who's obvious skill and grace took all by awe. The princess straightened her spine, her eyes widening as she watched the dancing couple, the woman's gown swirling as her partner swung her gracefully around. She blinked, awestruck, wondering who this handsome couple happened to be- they seemed unfamiliar to her, and yet... Something about them called out to her. She could not pull her eyes away from the two, from the golden-haired man to the beautiful woman with her aquamarine hair piled into a knot atop her head. The princess found she longed to be between them, to be noticed by them, to speak to them. All of the court watched them dance, all as equally wonderstruck as their crown princess was._

 _As the dance came to and end and the couple bowed to one another, the court erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause. Both lifted their hands to acknowledge the court, their smiles merry, eyes hidden behind the masks they wore. They went their separate ways and the princess felt her heart plummet- she had hoped to see more dancing. But, it seemed as if they were both strangers and would not dance again. The woman headed past the court, who had begun to pair off as another dance began, and then she was gone, heading back down the corridor that housed the royal living quarters. She turned back to look upon her mother, only to discover she had disappeared from her throne. Serenity was surprised, it was unlike her mother to rush off in the middle of a ball, but she then saw her, disappearing down a hall that lead back towards her own chambers, the very same one the woman had gone down. She did not have long to think about what that meant because a moment later, she felt the presence of another, and a soft voice was speaking to her._

 _"Princess, may I have this dance...?"_

 _Turning, Princess Serenity was surprised to see the male dancer standing before her; feeling the heat rising to her cheeks, the smiling princess nodded, extending her hand for the stranger to take. The gloved hand took hers, lifting it towards his lips and she could not help to notice his lips were soft against her knuckles. She allowed him to lead her away from her place and out amongst the dancers. A soft murmur was washing across the ballroom as the princess took to the center with her partner, though she might have argued against it, she certainly had the grace to match his previous partner's. Adjusting his hands to their proper placement, her partner fell into step with the music, taking her along with him. As they danced, Serenity could not help but to scrutinize the man; his touch was soft, gentle. There was something familiar about him... Something she could not quite place. But as they danced, she felt it was less like a man's touch, it was much to gentle to be a man. She raised her eyes to find his and the cyan-colored gaze was penetrating. "Who are you..." She found herself whispering as they dipped her low, applause sounding around them, momentairly blocking out the music. "You aren't..." She trailed off, shaking her head, extending out one hand as she was twirled away and then back again. "You're not a man." She murmured, not accusingly, more surprised than anything else._

 _The woman, realizing she'd been found out, chuckled softly. "I am not," she confirmed, amused by the princess' bemused expression. "But it must remain our little secret," she continued, leaning down, speaking directly into her ear. Stiffening slightly, the princess mulled this over and then nodded, the brightness of her smile blinding. Unbeknownst to either, the queen and the woman had reappeared, the latter smiling as she stood beside the queen, who was watching her daughter as she danced. "I hope you can forgive me lying, but I merely wished to dance with you. This was the only way." Tilting her head, the princess opened her mouth to say something, but the music was dying and her partner was stepping away. "I will never forget this, Princess..." The woman's soft vocals barely reached her ears, but she caught them and nodded, suddenly feeling as if her heart was being torn into two. Why did it ache for this woman to leave her side? "Goodbye." Before the princess could say a single word, the tuxedo clad woman had disappeared into the crowd, leaving the princess standing alone in the middle of the dance floor, feeling as if she had just lost someone important._

 _Out on the balcony, the two women came back together, the aquamarine haired woman unable to help but to chuckle. "You're so reckless, Uranus," she chided gently, shaking her head in loving exasperation. "The queen was not pleased we left our posts, but she understands..." When the golden-haired woman turned to face her, she could not stop herself from offering a smirk, her eyes flashing as she pulled the mask from her eyes. "She is beautiful though, is she not?" Both pairs of eyes turned to look back into the ballroom, to where they could both see their queen and princess standing together, a mirror image of one another, their eyes the only thing setting them apart. In an instant, their costumes were gone, replaced instead with the fuku of a soldier; soldier who's task it was to protect their precious kingdom from outsiders, from the evil that longed to destroy it. It had been many years since the princess had been born- they remembered that day well, when her bright, shining light lit up the entire galaxy for the briefest of moments. From that moment on, they had watched her grow from afar and both felt her warmth from time to time._

 _"She is..." Uranus replied with a sigh, her lips twitching with a smile. "Come on, Neptune," she murmured, forcing her feet to drag her body away from the glass. As she turned to go, she swore she caught the eyes of the princess, but forced herself on. In the blink of an eye, both of the senshi had gone, disappearing into the gardens below, heading towards the fountain that would transport them back to their home planets. Neptune slipped her hand into Uranus' as they approached the fountain, offering it a gentle squeeze; Uranus turned to her and smiled, before she turned to give one last glance back to the palace, where she could see the princess who had slipped out onto the balcony, looking this way and that way._

 _From the balcony, Princess Serenity was looking everywhere for the senshi she was certain she had seen. There was no mistaking that fuku, she knew it well, considering her four guardians wore it as well. But the coloring... It had been different... And those eyes... She blinked, shaking her head, wondering for the briefest of moments if she had truly imagined it. But then she saw them. They were at the fountain, their backs to her, but there was no mistaking it. The pair stepped into the fountain and in an instant they were gone, leaving her to wonder if she would ever know the truth of them. After several long minutes, the door to the balcony slid open and her four guardians were there, drawing her back inside, back into the party... But Serenity swore, she swore that she would never forget._

[ x x x ]

It was dark and she woke with a start, panting as she pulled herself free from the grasping hands of the dream. Sitting upright, she raised up a hand, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she came back into reality. Beside her, little Chibiusa slept on, snoring softly, her pink locks spread out across her pillow. She had her own bed, but the girl hardly used it. Untangling her limbs from hers, Usagi moved gently, careful as to not wake the sleeping girl. That was not the first dream she had had of the mysterious senshi, although that had been the most vivid of them all. Rising from her bed, the blonde padded across her room to her balcony, which she slipped out onto, despite the chill of winter outside. Shivering against the cold, she wrapped her arms around herself, thankful for her flannel pajamas; leaning against the railing, she stared out into her quiet street, the darkness thick, the sky above full of clouds so dense she couldn't see a single star. Only the moon could be seen, bright against the dark backdrop of the night sky, giving off a soft glow that warmed her more than any blanket or coat would.

Across the way, in a parked car on the street, sat two females. They, like the girl above, could not sleep, and had chosen to take to the night. She was drawing them closer every night, too close for comfort really. It was still too early for their meetings, but one of the women in particular could not help but to get close to her. "You're reckless, Haruka." The chiding voice of her partner brought a laugh from her lips and the blonde turned to her, the aquamarine beauty smiling despite her somewhat disapproving tone. "She's bound to notice us one of these nights." Haruka lifted her shoulders in a shrug as she turned back to her window, eyes searching for the girl, but she had disappeared from sight, apparently retreating back into the warmth of her home. Now that she had gone, both women took notice, her presence warm despite the distance, her aura strong and inspriring even from afar. "We should go..." Michiru's soft voice broke into her thoughts and for a moment, Haruka wanted to say no, but she sighed and nodded. Returning the key to the ignition, she started the car, and they drifted off into silence as the radio took over. Speeding off from the spot, both could not help but to spare one last glance at the window where they knew behind it was that girl with the warm, brilliant aura. One that was reminded them so much of... No... It was too good to be true.

From within her room, Usagi heard the car engine start; she rose back from her bed, making it to the window in time to see the car as it drove off, no headlights, no nothing. She watched as it turned the corner and then disappeared completely from her sight. Strange, she thought as she returned to her bed, that a car would be going someplace this late at night in her neighborhood. Climbing back beneath the covers, she gently pushed Chibiusa aside, who still slept soundly in the bed. Turning onto her side, she snuggled close to the sleeping child, who mumbled something in her sleep, probably about Usagi's cold feet, which she often complained about in the mornings. As she drifted off to sleep, Usagi could not get the image of those cyan-colored eyes from her mind, nor the soft sound of the woman's vocals as she called out to her...

" _My princess..."_

[ x x x ]


	2. Chapter 2

The day was warm, especially so for early spring. It was the first days of April and the sun refused to hide behind the dark array of clouds in the sky. Despite the warmth of the sun's rays, she felt nothing but despair, nothing but a hollow sense of duty and darkness. Her days were full of the knowledge of their impending doom, that was... Unless they made a sacrifice. Would they, she and Michiru, truly bloody their hands with the blood of a fellow soldier. Senshi or not... Surely, Saturn had to be taken out, had to be _taken care of,_ as Michiru might have put it. At one time, she might have seen the reasoning behind it, and truly she had been in this whole thing for months now, never swaying in her faith that this was the only way. But then... Then she met her.

Haruka slowed her pace to a stop, reaching a hand up to run through the back of her hair, a sigh escaping; that bright smile, the sweet scent of her perfume, the crystalline look to the teardrops that fell from her blue eyes... Each image passed before her eyes, leaving her breathless as the last of them sent her deep into a memory... _The flicker of a smile, the soft profile shrouded in shadows, the billowing strands of hair... In the mirror, all the one bright, clear images had gone a murky gray, had blurred til they were nearly unrecognizable. Over the course of a week, the images had become this way, telling them the course of their princess' destiny in this world. Then, one day, they felt the shockwave across their galaxy, felt the piercing pain as if a blade had struck them right in their chests. Neptune arrived moments later, stricken and pale, a look to her that in all their millenia Uranus had never once witnessed. She was trembling as she fell into Uranus' arms, her mirror extended... The image upon it was too painful to look at for long; a sharp breath and Uranus snatched it away, but the mirror tumbled from her grasp and to her feet where it lay still and quiet, the bloodstained image burned into its surface. At once, it began to flicker, and then her own sword appeared, flickering with its bright glow. The two talismans began to resonate with something far, far away... They both felt the burst of power and she was materializing before their eyes, the sleeping soldier in purple. Her eyes began to open and the power was overwhelming... Uranus threw a hand out, shielding her eyes from the sheer light of the power Saturn was putting off. If she was awakening, then that was it... Something... Something had destroyed their precious kingdom, had taken the lives of their princess and queen. The pain of such a loss was truly too much... Uranus hit her knees, eyes upon Saturn as she touched down before them. Beside her, Neptune was staring straight ahead, her eyes full of unshed tears, her shoulders quivering. Saturn turned her gaze upon them both in turn, her sweet smile appearing only moments later. "Hope and rebirth..."_

The memory let her go as quickly as it had taken her and Haruka stagged forwards, blinking back to reality. She peered around and at once, she caught sight of her, all alone upon that park bench. The same one they'd met at time and time again. It was as if fate was steering her in the correct direction. Pushing her hands into her pockets, she sauntered over, trying to adopt a cool, normal look in an attempt to hide just how shaken that memory had left her. As she approached, the blonde girl turned, and at once a smile spread across her features, illuminating her like the sun itself. "Haruka-san," her sweet, singsong vocals reached Haruka's ears as she came to stand behind the bench, the girl upon it turning completely around. "I thought maybe..." She trailed off, her eyes darkening and then she whipped back around, arms folding over her chest. "Maybe we wouldn't meet again."

Usagi had known she was coming, she could feel her aura a mile away it seemed. The two outer guardians were constantly on her mind. While they differed on the matter of saving the world and the sacrifices that had to be made, Usagi was firm in her belief that they could still work together. There had to be another way to stop the spread of darkness. No, she already knew that there was. Her hand rose up, the pads of her fingers trailing across the heart-shaped compact at her breast... Within that held the key. "I couldn't stay away," Haruka admitted, falling into place on the bench beside her. Usagi looked up and over, a brow arched in mild surprise. "I could never stay away entirely." She shrugged, as if they spoke of something mundane, but she turned to her, smiling but her eyes were grave. She longed to reach out and touch her face, to push away the stray hair from her beautiful eyes, to tell her that everything was going to be okay. But was it...? Haruka didn't know for certain. None of them did. The sorrow on the blonde's face deepened and for a sharp, poingnat moment, Haruka was reminded of the memory she'd only just remembered. That look of intense anguish, of pure broken-heartedness... It chilled her to the bone.

"Haruka-san, you're pale..." Usagi's voice suddenly pulled her free from her own mind and she felt the warmth of her skin as she placed her small hand over her own. "Are you alright?" Across the way, Michiru appeared, silent and still, watching through wistful eyes. They both longed to be nearer to her, but knew that they couldn't. It was their duty to protect her and the planet in any way possible. They could not involve the princess nor her guardians. They did not need to stain their hands with blood of another soldier. Nor would they ever, which was why they simply could not work together. Knowing their time together was up, Haruka rose up, tilting her head slightly as she looked upon the blonde. The girl turned to follow her line of vision, her blue eyes widening slightly at the sight of the aquamarine haired woman in the distance; but then she turned back to Haruka, a smile wobbling on her pink lips. "Will you come again? Will we see each other again?"

A small chuckle escaped and Haruka reached a hand up, running it through her cropped golden locks. "Of course." She said with confidence, knowing full well that their paths would most certainly cross again. No matter what, they were both soldiers, bound to war and so bound together. And more than anything else, she was her princess and Haruka would give her life for her. Haruka made to step away, but found she was unable to pull her gaze away from the blonde before her. "Stay safe, kitten," she murmured, unable to stop herself from reaching out to brush against her temple, the pads of her fingers trailing along the line of her jaw. "Until we meet again..." She then turned, striding away, completely aware of the eyes watching her walk away, of the heartbreak that surely resided upon the girl's beauitful face. As she approached Michiru, she could not help but to turn back, casting a longing glance over her shoulder, to catch sight of the blonde still seated upon the bench. They both stood, side by side, in silence as the young woman suddenly jumped to her feet, her right wrist held slightly aloft, her lips moving with words that they could not hear. And then she was gone, disappearing down the pathway, towards the main street. In her own pocket, Haruka heard the ping of her own communicator, telling both she and Michiru that another battle was surely to begin.

"Are you alright?" Michiru's voice was soft, her touch gentle as she reached out to take her hand in hers. Haruka chuckled, shaking her head as she pivoted to face the aquamarine-haired beauty. "I know... I know this isn't easy for you. But, it's for their own good. For _her_ own good." Michiru felt Haruka grasp her hand a little tighter, but silence lasped between them and it wasn't until Michiru's communicator began to beep that they knew their time was up. It was time to fight.

[ x x x ]

"I won't let you hurt her!"

The shrill, emotional vocals tugged at Uranus' heart, but she stayed her ground, Michiru's presence beside her comforting. Across from them stood Sailor Moon and her guardians, the littlest of the senshi crouched beside a dark-haired girl who was near unconsciousness. "This is how it has to be." Haruka head Michiru say, her voice soft but her eyes said it all. None of them wanted to do what they planned to do, but it did have to be done. The only way to stop the spreading darkness was to sacrifice the messiah of silence, the soldier of destruction, the senshi that was locked deep away in the girl across from where they stood. "Move aside."

"No." Usagi gazed upon the three senshi with a fierce determination, her stance strong, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I won't let you harm this girl," she side-stepped, placing herself between Chibi Moon and Hotaru, her eyes never leaving Uranus' face. "I know if we just talk about this... We can work together to save the world without killing an innocent girl." Tears were sparkling in her eyes as she looked from face to face and then back to Uranus. "It doesn't have to be this way." Her hands came up, clasping together at her breast, the compact clutched beneath her palm. "I can save the world." She raised her eyes up and blinked away the tears, shaking her head. She turned to look upon Chibi Moon and Hotaru, who had come to by then, her awestruck eyes never once leaving her protector's face. "It doesn't matter how strong this enemy is or who the messiah of silence is. I will protect this girl and this planet. Even if it costs me my life!"

Haruka stepped back slightly, casting her glance towards Michiru, and then to Setsuna who then gave a small nod, turning as if she meant to go. "Let's go, Neptune." Haruka finally said, following Pluto's lead and turned to go. But then she heard her, calling back to her, forcing her to turn back around. Her blue eyes were wide and shining with unshed tears, her lip wobbling like a child's might have after a scolding from her mother. But in that look, she saw her princess, they all saw her. "Don't look so sad, princess... You should be happy to see us go." She turned back then and in an instant the three senshi had gone, disappearing from sight, leaving the five of the six senshi to stand in silence, all wondering the same thing...

 _Could they really be trusted?_


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness was closing in and yet again, Usagi found that she was unable to sleep. Every single time she closed her eyes, those haunting images flashed before her once more. Over and over again she had to relive that awful, agonizing moment of watching Haruka pull that trigger. The image was burned into the back of her mind, her words taunting her with every passing moment. _It's funny... When you say it, it's almost like I believe you really will... Save the world..._ The soft vocals, the way her blue eyes had looked at her... It all haunted her, it all tormented her. Her entire existence was caught up in surviving post losing the Outers, of rewatching each of them die and being unable to do a damn thing. It always came back to that, to her being useless, to her being unable to fight back and protect those she loved the most. How many more sleepless nights would she endure? How much longer could she go on living and feeling such a way?

Beside her, Chibiusa slept soundly, her dreams much sweeter than her own. Usagi envied her, that little girl, who to an extent still yet lived carefree. A little girl untainted by the darkness of being the one people died for, the one people died to protect. The one who had all the power, yet could do nothing at all. Untangling herself from the bed sheets, Usagi rose from her bed and shed her pajamas. Within moments she'd thrown on her outfit from earlier that day- a black jumper with a pink blouse beneath. Slipping her socks back on, she pocketed her heart-shaped compact and exited her room. Tiptoeing past her parent's bedroom, she paused only a moment at the sound of her father's sleepy cough. When it had ceased, she was gone, stepping into her shoes in the doorway.

High above her, the moonlight shined on, though it offered her little comfort that night. Truthfully, she wasn't sure where she was to go, nor did she truly care; just being out in the warm, summer air was enough to calm her a little. The wind was gentle and it reminded her of Haruka. The blonde continued down the main street, veering off only when she came to the entrance of the local park. The night was warm and dark, but the moonlight lit up her way, as if putting her onto the path she needed to be on. Wandering the dark park, Usagi hummed softly, the tune one she had heard Michiru play many times. Her feet took her the ever familiar path she took to and from school, which cut through the middle of the park, a part of the park that was near and dear to her heart. As she approached the bench, Usagi could almost swear she saw Haruka sitting there, waiting for her to arrive. But as she neared closer, she knew her eyes to be mistaken, for there was no one there. There would never be someone there. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and Usagi sat down, her elbows resting on her knees, her cheeks cupped into her palms. As she sat there, her mind drifted back, over those awful moments, ones forever engrained into her mind. She could still yet recall the heaviness of the door as she threw it open, could still recall the stab of pain as she felt the loss of Neptune. She could still remember barreling into the room, to throw her own body against the enemy's, knocking the gun from her hands. And then... The sight of it in Haruka's hands.

Closing her eyes, Usagi leaned back, fighting back the tears threatening to spill from beneath her eyelids. Why... Why hadn't she been able to get there a few moments earlier? Why hadn't she been able to achieve this next powerup without the Holy Grail? Why did the grail _have_ to exist? Why, why, why?! She asked herself why over and over again everyday, wondering why things had to be this way. The very thought of transforming into Super Sailor Moon sickened her and she'd avoided it at all costs the last few weeks. And while the Grail offered them hope, she could not allow herself to use and rely on a power that had taken so much away from her. Her power was infinite, yet she'd been unable to prevent the needless deaths of the Outer Senshi. She could only stand by and watch. She sat up straighter, reaching a hand into her pocket, pulling out her heart-shaped compact. The gold shined in the moonlight, but the sight made her queasy. In a moment of rash, self inflicted rage, Usagi let out a cry and tossed the compact away, hearing it bounce a few times as it landed several feet away. What was the point in having such a thing, of having such a power, if she could not save the world without sacrifice? What was the point in calling herself a heroine, a _messiah_ if her power could not stop the deaths of beloved friends and of innocent bystanders? How many times would her friends die for her? She had lost them once and they'd come back... But the next time could be like this time, like with Haruka and Michiru. The next time they might not come back. Losing the Outers was a pain like no other, a pain more agonizing than she had ever thought possible, but to lose the rest of her friends? No, she couldn't let that happen. She could not and _would_ not lose anyone else. Not Hotaru, not anyone at all.

"Princess?"

The voice caught her off guard and Usagi turned, blue eyes widening at the sight of Setsuna standing before her. The older woman offered her a small smile and approached, her heart breaking at the sight of her dear princess; hair disheveled, blue eyes swollen, her cheeks stained by tears. She looked as Setsuna felt. She had always known the loss of Neptune and Uranus would come- but she could have never prepared herself for how it truly would feel. They had not yet met in this life, but Setsuna had watched over them from afar. From the moment that Neptune had awoken and sought out Uranus, she had watched them. An inseperable pair that had a steadfast loyalty to their duty to the mission. The mission could not, however, be completed without their sacrifice and forever the world would go on without knowing what had been given for its surival. The girl before her though, truly knew what it meant to be so loved that people would die for you. She knew and understood loss better than anyone else, because look at all of it she had suffered through? Setsuna found she could not find the words to say and instead she extended her hand, in which the girl's compact lay. Silently, Usagi reached out and took it from her, and she retreated into herself, her shoulders curving as she leaned forwards. "Can I sit?" Setsuna finally asked, waiting until the young woman silently nodded her assent. Taking the seat beside her, Setsuna tried to smile, but the sight of Usagi's heartbreak was just too much for her to take. "I'm sorry things had to be this way..."

"Had to? Had to?" Usagi exploded, turning sharply, hair whipping about her face, her blue eyes frenzied. "It didn't _have_ to be this way." She clutched tightly to her compact, shaking her head, hating herself for every single tear that fell down her cheeks. "I could have... I can... I can do it without the power. I don't need to be Super Sailor Moon. I don't need the Grail." Setsuna felt her own heart breaking at the misery of the girl before her, feeling the same pain, but in a much different way. "Why am I so helpless..." She murmured then, falling apart at the seams, her whole body quaking with the sobs that suddenly poured from her. "I wanted to protect them. I wanted to save them!" She cried into her hands, rocking back and forth, wishing with all of her heart to go back and change things. To make them see that she could do anything if only they'd stood behind her.

Usagi could not stop the tears that flowed so freely from her eyes, she could not breathe she was crying so hard. Losing Michiru and Haruka... It hurt more than she had ever thought it would. Life was cruel and fate was unfair, she thought, recalling how she had never even known of their existence before the present. In her past life, as Serenity, she had only known of her own four guardians, never of the two that guarded the galaxy from afar. In this life, they finally had met, had finally found one another, but were forced apart by more than just death. From the moment they'd met, the two sets of senshi had clashed, had been unable to work together. Usagi couldn't see how they couldn't work things out and be a team. they were all after the same goal, after all. "I remember feeling helpess." Setsuna's quiet vocals caught her attention and Usagi lifted her face, turning slightly to look upon the older woman. "Once, I too could do nothing but stand by, helpless as people I loved died." Setsuna watched as realization skitted across Usagi's features and suddenly the tears were fading and her big blue eyes were wide in her face. "All three of us could do nothing but watch as the Moon Kingdom turned to dust. I could not leave my post, nor they from theirs. It was our duty, our orders." Setsuna explained softly, her eyes betraying just how painful those memories still were. "Duty doesn't make it less painful, but it gives it more meaning." She continued, turning her eyes back onto Usagi, who remained still and silent. "Haruka and Michiru knew what it cost to be a solider, they knew what their roles were going to be in this fight. They sacrificed their lives to give you and the others a chance at winning. Because they believe in you."

Those words sent shockwaves through her and despite it all, Usagi found herself to be smiling. "Believe..." She murmured softly, lifting her gaze to the starry sky above them. And though the weight of her guilt was still heavy, for the first time in weeks, she felt it lift, if only a little bit. "We'll meet them again, right?" She asked then, turning back to Setsuna, a childlike plea to her tone of voice. Setsuna nodded and the girl was suddenly full of hope. "I won't let their deaths be in vain. I will save this world." She stood up then, her fierce determination flaring up, igniting like a fire in her eyes. Her hands squeezing into fists at her sides, Usagi sucked in a breath and then let it out, turning slightly to look at Setsuna, still seated on the bench. "Thank you," the young woman smiled and Setunsa rose up, nodding slightly. She watched as the girl waved goodbye, as she took off at a jog down the paved pathway, her blonde hair billowing behind her. In an instant she was gone, but Setsuna was full of her aura, her warmth and her scent. After all this time, she was still the same, the very same princess she had been a lifetime before. It would take time, but she would heal from the loss of the other two, she would move on but she would never forget. And nor would she. Setsuna knew she would carry the loss of Haruka and Michiru until she drew her very last breath, just as her princess would. Someday she would kneel before her as she had once knelt before her mother and Setsuna knew it wasn't really all that far off. Turning to head for home, Setsuna lingered only a moment longer, suddenly feeling the wind as it sent her hair dancing about her face, and a smile slowly spread across her features. Death couldn't keep them apart, not completely anyways.

As she climbed back into bed, Usagi snuggled close to Chibiusa, who mumbled something and buried her face into her pillow, Usagi felt at peace. For the first time since Haruka and Michiru had died, she felt sleep grasping at her brain and she willingly gave in. She dreamed of them, of Neptune and Uranus, their blurred features racing past her in a torrent of images. She dreamed of their voices, of their speeches and their eyes. Haruka's lingered the most, watching from afar, her features brightening with a smile as she tried to tell her something. When she woke the next morning, she no longer felt the cold, dark grief first, but instead thought of Mamoru, of Chibiusa who had already risen from the bed and was gone. The pain came, as she knew it would, but it was not the first thing she thought of that morning, nor would it be the last thing she thought of before going to bed that night. No longer would she be chained to her pain and her grief, merely living with it, and instead she was surviving and getting through it. Her thoughts turned to Setsuna and she smiled, reminding herself to tell Chibiusa that she understood her love for the guardian of time. Her communicator suddenly came to life on her nightstand and without thinking, she was dashing out the door, shouting for Chibiusa across the house.

And just like that, she was bouncing back into her role as a senshi. Her vow was always the same, to protect those she loved, and it was a vow she would not take lightly. There would be no other lives lost during her tenure as a senshi, that she would make sure of.


End file.
